Knitting machine



1,624373 Apnl 12 1927' P. e. s-rnouo ET AL KNITTING MACHINE FiledNov. 4, 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Inventors 6%! imam/ww- A ril 12, 1927.

- P. G. STROUD ET AL KNITTING MACHINE Filed Nov. 4, 1922 z'snma-snt 2 y? a ig Patented Apr. 12, 1927.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

PAUL G. STROUD, OF BELMONT, AND WALTER A. SIMOND, OF FRANKLIN,'NEW HAMB- SHIRIL ASSIGNORS T0 ACME KNITTING MACHINE & NEEDLE COMPANY, OF FRANK- LIN, NEW HAMPSHIRE, A CORPORATION OF HAMPSHIRE.

KNITTING MACHINE.

ApplicationflledNovember 4, 1922. Serial No. 599,024.

7 This invention relates to knitting machines, and more particularly to hosiery knitting machines. The invention is especially concerned with that type of machines for knitting hosiery which is adapted to fashion the heel and toe of a stocking and to knit either plain or ribbed fabric, so that a complete stocking having a plain foot and a ribbed leg can be produced automatically in such a machine.

In machines of this type where it is desired to have the ribbed portion of the leg begin immediately above the heel, much difliculty is experienced due to the fact that the presence of the heel pocket in the knitted web of fabric reduces the tension transmitted from the takeup through the fabric to the group of needles acting immediately above'thepocket. The fact that a greater tension is exerted on certain needles than on others naturally results in producing imperfect work, and frequently the decrease in tension due to thiscause is suflicient to prevent the proper casting of the stitches from those needles subjected to the reduced tension. It has been proposed to overcome this difliculty through the use of supplemental tensions or takeups designed to act locally on the fabric to pull out the slack that is introduced in the knitted web by the heel or toe pocket; but these mechanisms obviously complicate the machine, particularly since they must be thrown into and out of operation by some automatic arrangement.

It is the chief object of the present invention to devise a simpler and more practical solution for this problem. The invention aims especially to avoid the use of supplemental takeups or tensions and to maintain a uniform tension on the loops held by the entire series of needles through the action of a main web takeup. V

The nature of the invention will be readily understood from the following description when read in connection with the accompanying drawings, and the novel features will be particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

Referring now to the drawings,

Figure 1 is a vertical cross sectional view through the needle cylinder and web guide of-a hosiery knitting machine of the charoperation progresses.

acter above described, showing this machine equipped with a mechanism embodying the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the takeup mechanism forming a part of the machine shown in Fig. 1; and

Fig. 3 is a front view of certain details of the actuating mechanism for the takeup rolls shown in Fig. 2.

The invention is herein illustrated as applied to the machine shown and described 1n application Serial No. 293,113 filed April 28, 1919, and assigned to the assignee of the present invention. I

Referring first to Fig; 1, 2 designates a stationary needle cylinder mounted on the upper end of a web guide 3 and supporting a circular series of needles 4. These needles are operated b suitable cams mounted on a revolving ta le or cam ring 5 which is driven by a bevel gear 6 secured fast on a shaft 7. Cooperating with the vertical cylinder needles 4 is a set of horizontal needles plain work, but the dial needles cooperate with the cylinder needles in knitting ribbed work. The general operation of the machine will be evident to those skilled in this art, but reference should be made to the application above designated for a thorough understanding of the construction and operation of the machine shown in this figure.

Another machine of this general. type is shown in Patent No. 1,282,880, granted October 29, 1918.

It is customary to use a web takeup in a machine of this type for the purposeof gripping the knitted web of fabric F at a point located relatively remote from the needles and feeding this web downwardly. thus maintaining the proper tension on the web to facilitate the casting of the loops of yarn from the needles as the knitting So long as a tubular fabric of substantially uniform dimensions ,ates this, ditliculty and able hearings loose or slack fabric constituting the pocket does not transmit the tension oi? the takenp mechanism to those needles located im mediately above the pocket; andthis 1111- equal distribution ot tension on the needles and on the loops of yarn held thereby produces imperfect work. This action is not especially troublesome ii: the machine continues to knit plain fl'abric, but it is very objectionable when the machine changes from plain to ribbed knitting at a point numediateh above the heel. The present invention provides a mechanism which ohvi' maintains a substantially uniform tension on the needles throughout the knitting operation, notwith standing the presence of the heel or toe pockets.

A The mechanism shown comprises a web takeup including two rolls 12 and let, respectively, the ends of which are supported in the opposite walls of a cylinder 15. The bearings for theroll 12 are fixed, with reference to the cylinderl5, but the roll 14 is mounted to yield, bodily toward and from the roll 12, being spring pressed toward the latter roll, is common in mechanisms of this character. The talzeup cylinder 15 has a flanged head 16 which is rotatably supported in aTbracltet 1T bolted to the machine frame. A ring 18 overlies the flange 1,6 and holds thecylinder in the bracket. Formed on the outer edge oi the flange 17 are teeth] which mesh with a worm 20 fast on a horizontal shaft 21 supported in suit- 7 A pulley 22 is secured to this shaft and is belted to any convenient source of power in the machine. These parts thus rotate the entire talreup mechanism in a horizontal plane.

, For the purpose of rotating the rolls 12 and 1&1, about thei axes, a ratchet wheel 24: is secured to the shaft of the roll 12, and a hell crank lever 26 is mounted on this shaft immediately behind the ratchet 2 1-. This lever carries a pin or roll 27 which runs in contact with the lower wavy edge 98 of the braclnyt 1?, the pin heingrheld in contact with said edge by a spiral springQQ, one end oi which is secured, to a pin 30 projectinglrom the lever 26, while the other end isaecnrcd to astationai v arm 31 fastened to the cylinder 15. v c ,It will thus he evident that as the cylinder 15 is revolved about its axis by the worm 20, the leverQG will be oscillated about the shaft 25. A pawl 32 pivoted on the levcr26 held in engagement with the teeth of the ratchet 24: by means of a spring 33.

ave

Consequently, as this pawl moves up and down due to the oscillations of the lever 26, it rotates the ratchet; wheel 251;, and with it, the roll 12. Another pawl d4 engaging the opposite side the ratchet wheel 24!; irevcnts any retrograde movement of This wheel. The two rolls lzjand 1ft aregearcd together at their ends opposite the ratchet 24:, one of the gears being shown at 35 in l ie'l 1,50 that they are compelled to rotate in unison hut in opposite directions.

This gene 'al ctiiisti'iitztion of a takeup uazehanisn is already known and no novelty in the takeup mechanism per se is claimed here. v

ll will now he evident that while the knitting operation is prrugressing, the web l oi Fabric will be fed downwardly by the rolls l2 and 1-1 iirthe usual manner. At the same time, this web oi? fabric will be twisted due to the bodily rotation of the takeup mechanism. This twisting iof the fabric distrilnites the strain uniformly on the entire series of loops held by the needles notwithstanding the presence jofheel or too pockets in the web. It effectually evercomes, therefore, thediiticulties whiclrotherwise would be introduced in the knitting operation due to the presence of the heel or pressing of the hosiery. The rate otrotation of the takcup mechanism and of the rolls l2 and 14: is so proportioned to the rate at which the needs are produced. as to n i a inta i n the desired tension on the needles.

This invention therefore provides a mechanism which avoids entirely the use of supplemental takeups or tension devices. It is extremely simple in construction, is economical to manufacture, and requires no attention other than that required by the usual wehtalteups. The fact that it is unnecessary to use any automaticmechanism for throwing it into or out of action, as is required when supplementalltakeup mechanisms are used, is an important advantage from both the mainifactnring and operating standpoints. v I Y lVhile we have herein shown and described the besteml'iodiment of our invention which we have so far d evised, it will he app reci a ted that the invention is not limited to einhodiineut in the specific form shown.

Having thus described our invention, what we desireto claim as new is y,

1. In a circular lmittinr, machine, the coinhination with knitting instrun'ientalities ineluding a circular series of needles, of means operative during circular knittingto twist and simultaneously tension theknitted web of fabric.

, 2. In a'circular knitting machine, the coin bination with knitting instrumentalities including a circular series of needles, of means for acting on the knitted web of fabric during circular knitting to twist and simultaneously feed said Web of fabric.

3. In a circular knitting machine, the combination with knitting instrumentalities including a circular series of needles, of means for Operating substantially continuously on the web of knitted fabric to feed and twist the web simultaneously to maintain a substantially constant tension on the fabric at the needles.

- 4. In a circular knitting machine, the

combination with knitting instrumentalities including a circular series of needles, of a takeup for the web of knltted fabric, and

mechanism for relatively rotating said nee-' series of needles supported thereby, of a takeup comprising rolls between which the web of fabric is fed, means for rotating said rolls, and mechanism for bodily rotating said takeup to twist the web of fabric.

6. In a circular hosiery knitting machine,

the combination with knitting instrumen talities including needles and operating mechanism therefor for causing them to knit either plain or ribbed fabric and to change automatically from one style of knitting to the other, of a takeup for the web of knitted fabric, and mechanism for relatively rotating said needles and said takeup during circular knitting to twist the portion of said web of fabric between the takeup and said needles.

In testimony whereof we have hereunto signed our names to this specification. PAUL G. STROUD.

WALTER A. SIMOND. 

